I am grateful I got to spend one more day at my old school with my wonderful kiddos and fabulous co-Mentor; plus, it happened to be my co-Mentor's Bday!!! I will miss them all! I am grateful to feel so loved, valued, and appreciated by my students, their parents, and my co-workers. Thank you all for the past 20 months! I am grateful to be so many steps closer to obtaining my Chinese Visa! I am feeling positive about receiving the work permit online by Monday! It's usually a 5-day process, but my school liaison (in China) plans to go in Monday and ask if they can rush it, in consideration of Lunar New Year holidays that follow for two weeks! I am grateful that all my work with our kiddos at school has paid off; I have spent the last year-and-a-half coaching them in breathe awareness, sitting peacefully while mindfully breathing, affirmations, gratitude, intention setting! The replacement teacher was WOW-ed that they could sit still and quiet for so long, breathing with their eyes closed! Keep in mind, these are 5-6 y.o.'s that can now sit for 20+ breaths... longer than many adults can sit still! We started at one breath and just sitting still for 2 seconds!!! I am amazed at my kiddos and grateful that they are learning this much-needed tool at such a young age! Yay! I am grateful for all my friends and family who are trying to spend time with me before I leave! It is so hard to fit it all in... I haven't had time to pack, sell, or donate anything yet because all this visa paperwork takes up my days and nights... no joke! But so worth it! I am grateful that I made so many wonderful friends while I was at Integrity Academy in Austin. I just LOVE that I have true and lasting friendships-- friends in Austin, friends in Belgium... friends who are already asking about my vacation time so they can come visit China! LOL I am so so so so so so so so so grateful for this amazing IB teaching opportunity in China! CHINA!! CHINA!! A dream come true! I am further amazed at my lack of knowledge and naivety when it comes to the progress that China has made, and once again, the discovery of ANOTHER country that is has surpassed the US in so many areas (like KOREA!!) . And I get to live there!!!! WhooHoo! I am so grateful that I have already made friends and connections in China! Through both my FB teaching alumni page and the Chinese expat pages, and then referrals to other contacts, I have learned so much about my new city and all it has to offer...and most importantly, how friendly and welcoming the people of China are! Yay! Plus, friends! I've already made 3 friends in Chengdu!!! Whoo Hoo! I have a hiking and workout buddy who teaches at my school, a business owner-pal who's Chengdu old-skool expat (been there for years and years), another teacher friend at school, and various other contacts and acquaintances from Chengdu and Shanghai!! I am so grateful for a few minutes today to stop and be grateful! The visa paperwork process is overwhelming, the time flying by when I don't seem to have done anything to prepare my own household to move is daunting, the time needed to meet all my friends and family and travel to SA and FTW to see everyone before I go, along with numerous lunches, dinners, farewells is a lot... and I am grateful for it all! I love you people...here... and there!
0 Comments
I’m grateful for many events of the past few days! A successful trip to Houston to get my documents authenticated by the Chinese Consulate, a lovely massage, and finalization of all documents for my Chinese Visa! My new school submitted the online application in China, two days ago! We are crossing our fingers that the liaison can go pick up my work permit Monday! Then, I get to (oh, a priveledge LOL) drive to HTX *AGAIN* to get the real deal: VISA! Everything else has fallen into place, so I think this will, as well! Then all that’s left to do is buy my air ticket, pack up, sell, donate, organize, visit friends/fam, start staying awake super-late to adjust to time change, and GET ON THAT PLANE!!! Whoo Hoo!
It’s Groundhog Day! My Second Favorite Holiday (the first is my Bday, of course!). I’m grateful for one of the funniest movies ever! I’m grateful that my personal Punxatawny Phil has determined the coming year is going to be sunny and full of wonderfulocities!!! I am so grateful the notary came through! My Sis has a friend who is a notary, and she notarized my teaching license yesterday! WhooHoo! On Monday, I’ll have her send it to the FL Sec of State through an expediting service, so I should have it in hand on Weds! From there, it will all go down to the Consulate in Houston and the following week, I’ll have my visa! I am so grateful that my Sis was willing to help me out, and that her she has a friend who happens to be a notary! Otherwise, I would have had to FLY to FL, and take care of all this in person, which could have taken days, plus lots of dollars! I’m grateful that my new job has offered a substantial increase in income, so that IT DOESN’T MATTER that I will be spending more than the amount my new school has agreed to reimburse me for visa processing! Security, finally! I am grateful that I will have more security now, in so many ways! An increase in income, rent paid for, my OWN place which is much larger and will be ALL MINE, a new job with new opportunities to create positive relationships, leaving behind toxic work relationships, gaining IB experience and qualifications, the chance to get a doggie (!), and freedom from financial fear and no more “scraping buy”. I welcome the opportunity to experience the THRIVING LIFESTYLE, while slamming the door on the “barely surviving lifestyle ”! I am so grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way; I have WORKED HARD for all of them! Although I was impatient (well, is waiting 3 years patient enough?), I’m achieving goals and long-held dreams! I am so grateful I get to move to China! I’m grateful I finally got the damn credit agencies to remove fraudulent collection from my account, so that my credit score jumped up. I’m grateful for my local credit union—personal service, I love it! I’m grateful for my good friends who have stuck by me as I waded through muck and splashed them with it—they didn’t complain; just extended me a helping hand. I’m grateful for the part of my family that loves me, and expresses it. I’m grateful for new faces in my life that are helping me evolve, move beyond old patterns, and helping me get ME back. I’m grateful the truck is stilll running and that there is an opportunity to sell it for a small wad of cash. (Very, very small, LOL)! I’m grateful that I’ll be able to give that small wad to the friends that sold me the truck under value in the first place! I’M GRATEFUL THAT I AM MOVING TO CHENGDU! OMG!!! I'm grateful that this process is almost complete! Today I pick up my background check and have it apostilled. I'll go into school and clear everything out and help clean up the room. I'll finalize plans for my Bon Voyage on the 17th; having a difficult time deciding where to hold it! No one will let me reserve patio space for 20! Ugh! Still waiting on Sis to get my teaching license properly notarized. Got the stamp, but the notary did not include the certifying statement, so it will not be accepted for Apostille by the state of FL. Hoping she gets that today! Once I have that part complete, I send it all down to the Chinese Consulate-General and hope that they let everything pass. If so, I can buy my damn plane ticket. I'm grateful for my Sis who is willing to do this! Lots to do! Still trying to arrange visits to friends, figure out how to get rid of the truck, and putting off the onerous job of going through all my clothes and belongings. Packing will be as equally painful as dealing with the FL Educ Dept!!! I'm grateful for all my friends and the fact that I have stuff to pack and sell! I'm grateful that I was able to get my teaching certification! But I'm grateful that I'm getting to do any of this, because it means I HAVE AN AWESOME JOB WAITING FOR ME IN CHENGDU, CHINA! It means I'm fulfilling my dreams and achieving goals! It means I get to get the hell out of the US and live abroad again! I'm grateful I have 5 weeks off in which to get all this done. I'm grateful I don't have to deal with the BS that was going on "behind the scenes" at my former school! I'm grateful for new friendships that have already sprouted, even before my arrival! Most of all, I'm grateful for the return of my health and energy; these have enabled me to move forward, be brave, and accomplish all this! I'm moving to China!!I am so grateful it is all coming together... the last piece of the visa puzzle was put into place yesterday by my Sis in FL!!! (FL was just ranked one of the worst states to live in, or so the woman at the Sec. of State informed me yesterday! After dealing with their bureaucracy, I can see why!) Anyhooo! I am seriously grateful to my Sis who managed to get my Florida Teaching License notarized. I should be able to get it apostilled and hopefully get it back to me SOON! Hopefully by next week!
All I have to do now is personal, such as getting ready for the big move!
|
Gina is......grateful for the past and the future! Archives
November 2018
Categories |